


Signs of Love

by MrsRae



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-30
Updated: 2015-11-16
Packaged: 2018-03-20 08:16:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3643182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrsRae/pseuds/MrsRae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Draco Malfoy, trying to help his son find peace with his recent Deafness, seeks the help of Deaf professional Quidditch player, Harry Potter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Younger Years

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LizzyPhoenix](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LizzyPhoenix/gifts).



“Push, Lily. That’s right. You’re doing wonderfully.” James potter encouraged his wife, Lily, who had been in active labor for several hours. It was almost time for them to meet their first child.

Lily, for her part, ignored her well-meaning husband completely, and focused all her energy on ending the torture she was experiencing.

Within moments, the doctor lifted a purple, slimy mess, then quickly set it on Lily’s chest. Naturally, the two new parents fell in love at first sight with their beautiful baby boy.

A couple of nurses dried the screaming infant, then gave the speechless mother a moment to bond with her son before whisking him away to perform all the tests necessary for a newborn baby. The doctor wasn’t far behind them.

As Lily and James looked into each other’s eyes, Lily smiled sweetly, then began to laugh.

“What’s funny?” James asked.

Lily smiled. “We’re parents. I’m just so happy, I can’t contain it.”

A person entering the room caught their attention. James looked up in confusion to a doctor he hadn’t met before.

“Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Potter. I’m Dr. Snow, the pediatrician on duty tonight. I’m afraid I have some bad news.”

The Potters gripped each other’s hands tightly, anticipating the worst.

“We’ve just done the newborn hearing screening, and I’m afraid your son didn’t pass. I hate to tell you, but your child is hearing impaired.”

Lily let out a relieved sigh, and tried to stifle a giggle. “Is that all? Harry’s Deaf?”

The pediatrician puffed out his chest in agitation. “I assure you, there is nothing funny about this diagnosis. Hearing impairment is a serious issue. If you get intervention right away, he might not suffer serious language delays. You must consider your options.”

James looked back and forth between his wife and the doctor. Lily’s eyes lost all humor, and he saw the stern set of her lips.

“I know exactly what the options are, Dr. Snow. My parents are Deaf, and I assure you, they suffer no impairment. My child is not impaired. I will discuss this further with his regular pediatrician. Do you have any other concerns to address?”

The doctor, red faced, stuttered out, “Not at this time,” before turning and leaving the room in a huff.

Lily took a deep breath and visibly calmed herself. She looked at James with a sad smile. “I wish I could tell my parents.”

* * *

Harry Potter, a bright, silent seven-year-old, stared mutinously at the speech therapist. He had gotten passably good at lip-reading, but he refused to speak. He watched the movements of her mouth as she tried, unsuccessfully, to get him speaking.

_... Harry ... have to practice ... ridiculous ... wit’s end!_

Harry wasn’t supposed to use sign language; it was against the rules of the residential school he attended. That didn’t stop the students from signing, though. All he wanted to do was tell the speech therapist that he would _never_ speak. She was wasting both of their time dragging him into her office every day. However, since he knew he would get his hand slapped for signing, he instead folded his arms and turned his head away from her.

The speech therapist finally gave up and sent him from the room. He knew it was a small victory, however, and that he would be back in her office the next day.

As he went back to his dorm room as punishment for not cooperating, he started to feel guilty about his actions. Surely he should be trying harder to learn to speak. He just hated using his voice. He was never sure if he was doing it right, and sign language was so much easier and more natural. He didn’t have to worry about modulating his volume, or whether people would laugh at how he sounded. He could already read and write messages with people who didn’t know sign language, so he didn’t know why he had to speak to get his point across.

By the time he reached his dorm and lay down, he had reaffirmed his anti-speech stance. He didn’t need to be just like everyone else. He would never make Aunt Petunia or Uncle Vernon happy by trying to pass as normal. He was Deaf, and proud of it.

* * *

Several years later, Harry’s terrible cousin, Dudley, was celebrating his eleventh birthday. Harry could tell that something had gone wrong with the day, because Dudley was stomping around and Aunt Petunia was making placating gestures. He didn’t care enough to pay attention to their mouths, so he had no idea what the upset was.

Suddenly, Uncle Vernon pulled Harry out of his seat by the back of his shirt and started shoving him toward the car.

Harry sat silently in the back seat, next to a furious Dudley and his friend, and waited patiently while the car drove on.

Harry hated the summer time. When he started nursery school, he was sent to live at the dorms. Unfortunately, he still had to spend the summers with the Dursleys. Because the Dursleys never learned sign language, and never looked at him when they spoke, he was used to spending his summers in a state of passivity. He was unsurprised to be bundled into the car without explanation, and simply stared out the window at the scenery flying past.

When the car pulled into a parking lot, he was surprised to find that they had arrived at the zoo. The Dursleys never did anything fun with him if they could help it, so he assumed that’s what the clamor that morning was about.

He had a wonderful time at the zoo. None of the people there knew he was unwanted, and several people even smiled at him.

When they got to the reptiles, he watched Dudley approach the biggest snake there. After he and Uncle Vernon tried, unsuccessfully, to rouse the sleeping snake, they grew tired of it and walked away.

Harry approached the window. The snake looked him in the eye, and winked. Harry didn’t know what to think. When it rolled his eyes at Uncle Vernon and Dudley, harry thought, _I know. It must be really annoying._

Then the snake nodded. Harry was dumbfounded. The snake could read his mind! After a small, but entertaining interaction with the snake, he was rudely shoved out of the way. When he fell, the glass window he had been peering through disappeared and the snake slithered away.

After the resulting commotion, when it was just the Dursleys at home, Harry watched Uncle Vernon’s face become redder and redder. He was clearly upset, but of course, Harry had no idea why.

Suddenly, Aunt Petunia leaned over right in front of him and began talking slowly and deliberately. _You spoke to a snake. Never to people, but you spoke to a snake._ She stood up and shook her head with disgust.

Harry ran to his cupboard and lay on his mattress, trying to figure out what had happened. He’d apparently broken his vow to never speak, and had done it without even noticing. He was upset that he’d gone back on his promise, but had to admit that he’d enjoyed his time with the snake.

Rolling over, he tried to forget the whole thing had even happened.

* * *

Harry sat alone in the compartment on the train to Hogwarts. He used the time to try and puzzle out the strange things he’d experienced recently. First, the owls and the letters, then the hairy giant man whisking him away from the dilapidated shack the Dursleys had tried to hide in. Finally, he was dragged around some kind of wizarding marketplace by the enormous fellow, and shoved through a solid wall onto a train platform. Harry’s time with the giant was especially confusing, because all of his facial hair obscured his mouth, making it impossible for Harry to read his lips.

Suddenly, the door to his compartment opened, and a red-headed boy his own age stepped in. He mumbled something Harry couldn’t read, but Harry understood by the way he was standing that he wanted to sit down. Harry gestured to the seat across from him and nodded. Two more red-heads, obviously twins, stuck their heads in as well. They spoke quicky, but Harry caught the gist of what they were saying.

_Harry ... Introduce ... Fred and George ... Ron, our brother. See you later, then. Bye._

As quickly as they appeared, they were gone.

Ron asked Harry some kind of question, but he was looking at the floor, so Harry didn’t catch it. Not wanting to appear rude, he pointed to his ear and shook his head, hoping that Ron would understand the gesture.

After staring blankly for a moment, Ron had a flash of insight. He leaned forward and yelled, _You’re Deaf?_

Harry didn’t know why people did that. Yes, he was Deaf. Yelling wouldn’t help anything. Harry nodded.

They fooled around in the compartment for a time, using gestures and the occasional passing of notes. After lunch, the compartment opened again, and a girl and boy entered. She said something, to which Ron responded something. Then the girl turned to Harry and started signing.

_Have you seen a toad? Neville’s lost his._

Harry grinned. He didn’t meet many people who knew sign language.

 _I haven’t seen any,_ he signed.

_I’m Hermione Granger. My parents are Deaf. Who are you?_

Once Harry introduced himself, she started alternating signing and speaking, telling about how excited she was to be at Hogwarts, because she came from a non-magical family. Then she and Neville left together.

Shortly after, three new boys entered the compartment. He recognized one of the boys from the marketplace before, and tried not to blush at seeing him again. It was hard enough to tear his gaze away at the robe shop, but now they were so close, the boy looked even handsomer. He watched closely as the boy spoke.

The introduced his companions, then himself. _My name’s Malfoy, Draco Malfoy._

Ron must have done something to upset the boy, because Draco immediately curled his lip up at Ron and said some very unkind things about Ron and his family. Harry got angry and pointed to the door. It didn’t matter if he had a crush on Draco, he wouldn’t sit around while he said that kind of thing to Ron. Draco’s face twisted as he turned and stomped from the compartment, his friends following behind.

Harry smiled at Ron and leaned back in his seat. It was clear that he’d made a friend and an enemy already.


	2. Long Time, No See

Draco Malfoy watched from the stands as the Montrose Magpies wound down their practice. He was nervous. Of course, no one could tell that by looking at him. He stood tall, calm and collected as the members of the team landed their brooms and gathered together to discuss their performances. 

He watched as an interpreter joined the huddle, moving her hands, face, and body in ways he was only just beginning to understand. He glanced down at his five-year-old, son, Thaddeus, who was enraptured by the sight.

Draco felt a small smile tug at his lips, one which he quickly suppressed. He would be damned if he gave any hint of his emotions. Thaddeus looked back at his father, a huge grin on his face, and quickly looked back at the players.

Draco took the time to enjoy this rare display of enthusiasm from his son. Ever since Thaddeus had lost his hearing three months before, he'd turned into the complete opposite of the happy, charming boy he'd been before. He'd withdrawn into himself, becoming frightened and aggressive. 

Although Draco had taken a leave of absence from his work at the ministry, and he and his son were slowly learning sign language, he wasn't any closer to figuring out how to take care of his son. That was the reason he was here at the Quidditch pitch, moments away from meeting none other than Harry Potter.

When he noticed the players heading off the pitch, Draco took Thaddeus by the hand and began walking out of the stands. He tried, haltingly, to use his newly acquired language to explain to his son why they couldn't stay any longer. 

They came up behind the group of players as they were leaving. Draco, reverting back to his school days, shouted, "Potter!" Everyone looked back, except, of course, for Harry Potter, who only looked back when his interpreter taped him on the shoulder.

Draco immediately felt like a fool, but maintained his expression of superior indifference. 

When Harry Potter turned around and caught a glimpse of Draco, he stiffened up briefly, then turned to his teammates. He gave them grins and pats on their backs, before slowly walking away from them toward Draco. Draco was surprised to see the interpreter walking back with Harry. 

When Harry, the interpreter, Thaddeus, and Draco all stood in a loose circle, Harry gave Thaddeus a smile and wave. Thaddeus grinned back.

Draco gave introductions in his halting sign language.

_Hello. This is my son, Thaddeus. He just lost his hearing not too long ago._

Turning to Thaddeus, he signed, _This is Harry Potter._

Harry crouched down and held his hand out for Thaddeus to shake. Thaddeus proudly put his small hand in Harry's much larger hand and shook.

Harry slowly signed, _Nice to meet you._

When Draco watched Harry stand up, he felt more nervous than he had before in his life. He suddenly blurted, "I need your help."

Harry glanced at the interpreter, and then started signing rapidly. The interpreter said, "Teddy and I were planning on going to the park. Would you two like to join us? We can talk more there."

Draco nodded gratefully, and Harry waved once more at Thaddeus before turning and walking away.

* * *

Harry and Teddy arrived at the park before Draco and Thaddeus.

_So who are we meeting again?_ Teddy, a rambunctious eight-year-old, asked for the third time.

_Draco and Thaddeus. Remember, Thaddeus only recently became Deaf, so you'll need to sign slowly, if at all._

Teddy rolled his eyes. _Jeez, dad. I know how to play._ With that, Thaddeus ran off to climb on the slides.

Harry sat down to wait for Draco. To say he'd been shocked when he'd seen the other man would be an understatement. For a moment, he'd been overwhelmed by memories. The first time he'd seen Draco at the robe shop; going to the ball with Parvati, but wishing it had been with Draco; that stupid duel in the boys' room; the final battle at Hogwarts. He'd quickly shaken out of his flashbacks, but still had no idea what Draco was doing there.

When Draco introduced his son, Harry began to understand. He'd suggested they meet at the park because he wanted Thaddeus to be able to play while the adults talked about him.

Harry saw Draco coming, and quickly made eye contact with Teddy, then nodded toward the newcomers. Teddy went down the slide one last time, then ran over to his father.

When the Malfoys approached, Harry introduced them, and Teddy and Thaddeus ran to the playground together.

After a moment of awkwardness, Draco sat on the bench beside Harry. 

_What can I help you with?_

Draco turned to Harry. _I don't know how to help him._  

When Draco's limited signing failed him, Harry gave him a piece of parchment and quill. Draco started scribbling furiously. After a moment, he handed the parchment back to Harry. 

> Thaddeus is upset all the time. We don't know how to communicate with each other. We're learning sign language, but it's not fast enough. It's been three months, and we're barely making any progress. I don't know how to take care of my son.

Harry pondered the note for some time. He didn't want to get involved with Draco, the wounds from Hogwarts were still too fresh. But at the same time, he couldn't turn away from a child in need.

Making up his mind, Harry began to write.

> Tonight, I'll get some information together for you. We'll meet tomorrow at your house and make plans. Today, though, it's a beautiful day and I've packed a picnic. Let's just have a good time.

Draco read the note, then looked Harry in the eye, as if trying to gauge his sincerity. It was miserable for Harry, who had tried for years to forget the intensity of his grey eyes. Finally, Draco nodded and looked toward the children playing.

* * *

Draco watched from the sidelines as Harry played with the boys. Harry helped Thaddeus climb a ladder, encouraging the nervous boy with seemingly limitless patience. When Thaddeus got to the top of the ladder, Teddy helped him find his way to the big slide. Harry went around to the bottom of the slide to meet the boys.

Draco watched in amazement at the seemingly effortless communication. He’d been watching closely, and hadn’t seen them use a single sign. Harry and Teddy used simple gestures to make their meaning known, and paid close attention to Thaddeus’s body language when he responded. The result was that Thaddeus was enjoying himself with complete abandon, such that Draco hadn’t seen since before the event that stole his hearing.

When the boys launched out the bottom of the slide and landed on Harry, they all laughed together before standing up and brushing themselves off. Harry signed to Thaddeus, _Hungry?_

This was not a sign that Thaddeus remembered. Draco saw his face pinch up in anger or disappointment, and started walking over to intervene. Before Thaddeus could get too upset, though, Harry pantomimed eating a sandwich and rubbed his belly. Thaddeus nodded and grinned.

Harry looked up to Draco and jerked his head toward the table where their picnic basket was sitting. They all converged at the table.

Harry began passing out food and drinks, then making simple small talk with Thaddeus and Teddy. Whenever it was clear that Thaddeus didn’t understand what was said, Harry would act it out, point, or gesture.

Draco had been staring at Harry for some time, when he realized that Harry had asked him a question. He’d been so enthralled with watching the easy way Harry interacted with the boys and the strong movements of his hands and body, that he hadn’t even noticed that Harry had addressed him. With an internal shake of his head, he asked Harry to repeat the question.


	3. Work it Out

Harry stood in front of the Malfoy residence and hesitated only briefly before knocking on the door. Even though he’d had a surprisingly good time at the park the day before, he was still nervous about meeting with Draco again. He could walk out on the Quidditch pitch with thousands of enthusiastic fans, but he was a bundle of nerves when he needed to spend time with his school boy crush. He rolled his eyes at himself and waited for the door to be answered.

An old, crotchety looking house elf opened the door and gestured for Harry to enter. Harry bit back a smile, knowing that he should have expected nothing less.

Harry looked around the parlor while he waited for Draco to grace him with his presence. It was even stuffier and more expensive looking than Harry had come to expect from a Malfoy. He was still looking around, feeling more uncomfortable by the minute, when Draco casually entered the room.

Harry looked at the doorway behind Draco, waiting for Thaddeus to join them. When he didn’t emerge immediately, Harry asked, _Where’s Thaddeus?_

Draco thought for a moment, then haltingly signed, _In his room._

Harry reached into his bag and pulled out a file, then handed it to Draco.

_What’s this?_ Draco asked.

Harry valiantly refrained from rolling his eyes. _Read it._

While Draco quickly perused the file, Harry used the time to look at the family photos on the mantle. They were mostly of Thaddeus, some with Draco and some with Narcissa Malfoy. There was not one picture of Thaddeus’s mom. Didn’t he marry Pansy Parkinson? It was strange that he didn’t have any pictures of his wife.

He glanced back at Draco to find him gazing at Harry with a puzzled expression on his face. Draco immediately replaced his mask of indifference and gestured for Harry to join him, then walked out of the room.

Harry gritted his teeth and followed. He wasn’t going to meekly do Draco’s bidding, and couldn’t wait to set him straight on that front.

Draco led him to an office, and sat behind an ostentatious desk, motioning for Harry to sit across from him. What was this, a job interview?

With a sigh, Harry reached into his bag, and pulled out a blue globe. He set it above Draco’s desk and watched it hover, then bounced it down with the palm of his hand. When a two-foot tall transparent bust projected from the globe, Harry started signing. Even though he hated using the globe, as it wasn’t always accurate, and spoke and signed without emotion, he didn’t want to waste his time writing notes.

_Don’t do that again._

* * *

Draco stared at the wispy projection, and practically jumped out of his chair when a monotone voice emerged from the thing.

“Don’t do that again.”

Draco looked at Harry, surprised to see him fuming.

“Do what?”

Harry glanced at the thing, then glared back into Draco’s eyes.

After Harry signed quickly and fervently, he heard, “Expect me to follow you like a well-behaved dog. You need to communicate with me, even if you can’t sign it. I know it will take practice, but you could have made your wishes known. No wonder Thaddeus is upset, if you treat him with as much disregard as you treated me.”

Draco sat back in his chair, stunned. Even though the voice he heard was dry and detached, it was clear by looking at him how upset Harry was.

“I’m sorry,” Draco muttered. “I didn’t know.”

Looking slightly appeased, Harry pulled a chair up to the desk and slid the folder toward himself. He took out a page and pointed at it.

“This is a list of schools in the area that you might like Thaddeus to attend in the fall.” He removed the next page from the folder. “These are a few good audiologists, doctors who help diagnose and treat hearing loss.” Draco pursed his lips. He knew what an audiologist was. He’d been dealing with them for three months. Harry must have noticed his response and rolled his eyes before moving on.

“Here are some Deaf children’s play groups.” The next page, “These are some modifications you might like to make to your house to make sure that Thaddeus can be included.” Removing the last page, he said, “And this is a list of Deaf mentors you can contact.”

Draco furrowed his brow. “What’s a Deaf mentor?”

“A Deaf mentor is a Deaf adult that can come to your home and guide you through the ups and downs of having a Deaf child. Your mentor can go over all the information I’ve brought to you in greater depth, as well as help you navigate unforeseen circumstances. They’ll also teach you about Deaf culture and help you get your footing within the Deaf community.”

“Isn’t that what you’re here for?”

“No way. I’ve set you on the right path, but the rest is up to you.” He stood and reached for the globe, but Draco grabbed his hand before he could touch it.

“Why? Why won’t you help me with this?”

Harry looked at him, stunned, and Draco released his hand so he could respond. “We hate each other. We’re like oil and water. I’m sure there’s a better mentor out there for you. You only came to me because I’m the only Deaf person you know.”

If Draco had less control of his emotions, he probably would have been embarrassed. “We don’t hate each other. Well, _I_ don’t hate _you._ And maybe you are the only Deaf person I know, but Thaddeus looks up to you. Since the incident, I haven’t seen him as happy as he was with you and Teddy.”

* * *

Harry sat back in his chair and rolled his eyes at Draco. Honestly, _the incident?_ Draco couldn’t be more dramatic if he tried. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes with his fingertips. He really, really didn’t want to work with the Malfoys. While Harry might have exaggerated saying that he hated Draco, they definitely _were_ like oil and water. Not to mention that mortifying crush that should have died by now.

As Harry put his glasses back on and tipped his head back to look at the ceiling, he thought about what it would mean to mentor his teenage crush/enemy. While it would certainly be uncomfortable to spend time with Draco, he really had enjoyed his time with Thaddeus. Thaddeus was a fun, smart boy, who had taken to signing like a fish to water.

Looking back at Draco, he thought about the sacrifices he was making to ensure that his son had a happy childhood. Hell, he even sought out the one person he would probably be happy to never see again. It was only right that he help Draco out.

Harry sighed in capitulation. One of these days, doing the “right thing” was going to bite him in the ass.

_Fine,_ Harry signed. _I’ll be your mentor._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the huge break between chapters! Turns out, being pregnant and having a baby is a lot harder than I remembered. I'll try to update more frequently now that I've gotten a handle on things in real life, but I make no promises.


End file.
